I have been an entrepreneur for decades. The small businesses I have created varied in success from breakeven to very profitable. While running these organizations, I learned many, many lessons – some valuable, some very painful. When something went bad, I looked forward to correcting the problem and moving ahead. When something went very good, I sometimes went overboard in rewarding myself. All in all, I can look back on a successful self-created career.

Photo by Tom Fitzgerald

Now retired from business endeavors, I still have a strong interest in our viable private sector. I delight in watching new entrepreneurs create the jobs of tomorrow. I enjoy learning about new career fields. I support our ever changing economy.

During the past two years, I have participated in entrepreneurial mentoring programs for small startup organizations. Because I do not have any stake in the organizations as the owners do, I can objectively analyze their plans and strategies and offer suggestions for improvement. Using my good and bad experiences as examples, I have helped many individuals avoid unnecessary errors and keep their company moving forward.

Metaphysically, I have been very blessed with insight into the human plan and why we are here. We come to learn, share the knowledge gained, and help create an ever more dynamic humanity. My way of giving to others is to give my time. I share lessons learned as a means of helping them avoid or overcome their difficulties.

As a long time metaphysician, I have enjoyed helping others become aware of the values and virtues of spirituality. I take great comfort in opening doors to the other side for all who desire such awareness. I am mentoring them about that which is far beyond our everyday existence.

Life without mentors would be a series of repeated mistakes. Mentors speak from experience and help build foundations for success. I have had many great mentors, and now work at becoming such an individual for those who want guidance.

Everyone can mentor someone. It is not a matter of “This is how I did it, you must do the same.” It is a process of defining lessons learned and then applying that knowledge to future adventures for success.

If you are not a mentor, consider stepping up and offering your wisdom to others. The areas are endless – metaphysics, business, social awareness, or any field that interests you. Humans are interrelated and interactive and we can guide each other through our journeys. Become a mentor for someone just as someone else did for you.

In the December 2014 issue of Discover Magazine, Emma Marris writes about pinpointing the spot in your body where your “self” resides. I found the article interesting because in actuality people were asked to name a location where their soul resided. Most people chose their head or heart.

When I am asked that question, my response is “I am everywhere!” I know I exist within my entire earthly body which is my vehicle for earth experience. My body however, is not me. It is my physicalness which by which other humans can identify me.

When asked to identify yourself without using any common terms (man, woman, father, sister, athletic, etc.), you really have to focus on the real you. Identifying that energy is a unique experience. You know when you awake from sleep that you are present even before you acknowledge any physicalness. You understand that you exist and are present regardless of how your body reacts or doesn’t react.

With that knowledge, you understand the vastness of your being. That is why you know things metaphysically that your body cannot understand. The brain controls the body but does not control the spiritual you.

So to choose one location in your body for your “self” to exist, limits your ability to fully understand the metaphysical you and puts erroneous attention on your body. You are everywhere in that body otherwise the unoccupied regions would die. Long after your body has perished, you will still exist. Understand that concept and you will realize that in this existence you have no one spot.

People have made these statements to me during their readings. They wanted to know what the dreams mean and how they could end them.

In all cases, the dreams were symbolic, a view of their lives from a different perspective than their own. Much like a “What If?” scenario. What if I left the doors unlocked? What would happen to me? How would I protect myself? When we analyzed each question, the result was positive. The person was carrying too much fear about daily living instead of understanding and appreciating the solid structure of their life. The message of the dream was to stop overly worrying and to move into a more calm, restful manner of living.

Many times the spiritual side wants to communicate with us but our daily living prevents us from hearing them. To get around our natural conscious minds, the spirits often contact us through our dreams or subconscious minds. These dreams are often interpreted as something weird or unclear when in actuality, they are to the point.

Since dreams can be a mixture of actual and possible events, our brain tries to determine which they are so it can move on to the next item. This process does not delve into other possibilities. Instead of interpreting your dreams through the brain, focus on using your gut feel, sixth sense abilities. Let the spiritual you ask to clarify rather than the brain.

When you are in the spiritual mode, you will get the spiritual message from within. Your brain may try to over ride that input, so tell it to rest while you use your metaphysical abilities to appreciate what the other side is telling you in your dreams.

When successful with this, you will begin to look forward to your dreams and the messages being sent to help you.

As the final seven weeks of the year arrive with our year-end holidays, it is usual to turn our attention to family, fun, and new year energy. It is also often a time of reflection about our early lives and the many family members and friends who have helped shape us as we are today.

Photo by Tom Fitzgerald

Metaphysically, it is also the time of year when our spiritual senses become heightened and we are aware of those who have gone back to the spirit world. Contacts with these entities focuses our sixth sense and we realize that there is so much more to our existence than just human events.

To help us celebrate this annual awareness, our beloved mass media and retail communities present us with Black Friday, a day in which we must spend countless hours buying items we may or may not need, or using money we may or may not have so that after Christmas we can return or exchange items we really don’t want.

After Black Friday, we will have only 27 days until Christmas, during which time the media and retailers will try very hard to convince us that we did not spend enough money on Black Friday and that any good citizen will promptly march out and spend more so everyone will be happier at the beginning of next year.

To insure you follow their advice, guilt and social pressure are often employed: What kind of person are you if you don’t participate in this frenzy? Don’t you understand the need to take part in this sacred ritual? Do you really want our economy to collapse because you are not spending enough?

To side-step this pressure and nonsense, take some deep breaths, relax and focus your energy inward. Reaffirm your spiritual existence and see beyond the here and now. Concentrate on all that is greater so you can overcome the trivial stories and social pressure surrounding you.

Know that you have a reason for being that is much larger than the last seven weeks of the year. Black Friday is an interesting invention that you can observe without personal participation.

Thanksgiving 1964. Four college roommates had decided to buy a turkey and trimmings for their Thanksgiving away from homes and families. This turkey dinner would not only feed them, it would also provide two or three days of leftovers for meals for these always hungry, borderline poor, men.

While eating this feast, there was a knock on the door. Answering it revealed a traveling family that needed a meal. They were offered food from the table and gratefully accepted. There would still be enough leftovers for a meal or so.

After everyone was finished eating, there was another knock and another needy family asked for help. It was late in the day and the only meal available was the leftover turkey. Once offered, it was accepted and quickly eaten.

The roommates had no leftover turkey for future meals. This was not as planned.

Instead of reheated turkey, all they had was the indescribably warm feeling of helping those less fortunate than them – and a memory that never fades.